3 Deadly Mistakes to Avoid at Interview
Interviews are full of potential pitfalls and hurdles that jobseekers can trip up on. Awareness and preparation can help navigate and avoid these traps and ultimately increase your chances of success. Employers are using every possible tool and tactic which may challenge even the best prepared but still there are very basic mistakes where the can be no excuses. Here are 3 common mistakes that must be avoided and they are so basic they are overlooked.
Not making immediate impact – Jobseekers must make an immediate impact. Fail to do so and you will find yourself swimming against the current for the rest of the interview. Most interviewers make a decision on a candidate within the first few minutes. Much interview preparation revolves around what to say BUT 93% of communication is non-verbal so ensure you are communicating the right message by getting the basics right. Meet the interviewer with a smile (smile and the world smiles back), firm handshake (limp handshakes are my pet hate) and eye contact. Get this right and give yourself a better platform to work from.
Not knowing “you” – If you don’t know “you” how is the client expected to know “you”. Again basic questions and information like dates, reasons for leaving, duties, college, courses and hobbies often trip interviewees up. There is no point in spending hours trawling the internet for possible interview questions at the expense of these nuts and bolts. Many interviewers are untrained and will map an interview around the content of a CV.
Not asking questions – You will be asked during interview if you have any questions. This is a certainty in life along with death and tax. Yet so many jobseekers meet this question like a rabbit in headlights. An interview is a two way process so you are interviewing the client. If you don’t ask questions you are giving up the opportunity to gain valuable information to make your career choice. More importantly you are saying to the client that you have not put any though into the interview and are not really interested in the role or the company.
If you want help with CV & Interview skills book a place at our workshop on 29th September.
Paul Mullan is Director of Measurability. Measurability offers career coaching (Career Direction, CV Design & Interview Coaching) and also offers assessment solutions to organisations to enhance and improve recruitment process and decisions.
Contact details:
_d.write(GE('paul','measurability.ie'));paul@measurability.ie
087 1223308
